European Commission discards Breton complaint

In a letter received on July 27th and sent to the Cultural Institute of Brittany and to various associations that, last June 18th, had seized the European Commission to have Breton people rights recognized in accordance with fundamental rights of EU - (voir notre article)— in brief for Brittany to benefit of protections accorded to ethnic minorities — Ernesto Bianchi, one of the directors of the Justice department of the Commission, has declined having jurisdiction on the subject. "Issues related to the recognition of the status of minority fall under the responsibility of the member states, which must use all legal means available to them in order to guarantee that fundamental rights are effectively protected in accordance with their constitutional order and international laws obligations."

Although the Commission recalls Article 2 of the Lisbon Treaty, that protects minorities, it states also that no European law legislates on the subject or on the subject of the uses of languages. Therefore the commission cannot act, wrote Ernesto Bianchi.

Philippe Argouarch